Windows Phone 8 users plagued by poor battery life and random reboots

Windows Phone 8 was supposed to be a fresh start for Microsoft’s ambitious mobile operating system and it has enough on offer in addition to the features in 7.5 to justify an upgrade. However — as is true of most new software — there are a few lingering issues that need to be resolved.

For some early adopters that picked up a WP8 device since the platform launched at the beginning of this month, those issues have become daily annoyances. On forums for Nokia and Microsoft support questions, as well as a thread at WPCentral, users are describing random reboots, freeze ups, and rapidly draining batteries. The WPCentral forum has already amassed 151 posts and the official Microsoft support thread is up to 53.

On WPCentral, the HTC Windows Phone 8X seems to be the number one culprit. Users are reporting issues pertaining to unsuspected reboots from the WP8 device. Some say their device restarts once a day but others find it happens much more often. It looks like the issue has been brought to HTC’s attention by a user experiencing issues so hopefully a fix is in the works. An issue like this on a high-end device should not be allowed to fester for long.

The Nokia Lumia 920 has its own problems too. Random rebooting is also being reported but more frequently users seems to be complaining of frozen devices and abysmal battery life. One user said their brand new Lumia 920 froze up at least 15 times between a Saturday afternoon and the following Sunday evening. Users also report batteries draining overnight while the phone is idle, as well as soft resets required to revive a device with a completely drained battery. The Lumia 800 had similar battery issues and the issue was corrected with a software update. Therefore it would be logical to assume Nokia will respond in a similar way with its latest battery troubles.

It’s a pity that such a strong operating system has these problems marring an otherwise successful launch. For an already established brand like Android or iOS it may not make a difference, but Windows Phone 8 is still working to build a fan base and every dip in the road makes a dent (or something like that).

Author’s Note: I have been using a Lumia 920 for the past four days but haven’t noticed any freeze ups, problems with battery life, or unwanted reboots. Any other WP8 users out there? Tell us how your devices have been holding up thus far.